Kathleen Dawson

Our outdoor Hiking Camp is designed for students to explore the opportunities for outdoor enrichment within and beyond the borders of our city. Through collaboration and personal challenge, students develop an understanding of the natural world around them. Our goal is to promote personal growth through exposure to new and exciting environments and situations, ultimately leading to an appreciation for what the outdoors have to offer. Emphasis will be on how to have fun safely in the woods. For this five-day camp, students will participate in a variety of outdoor activities such as hiking, bouldering, playing in the water and Geocaching. All day-trips will be within a short drive of GDS and utilize the public spaces in the District, Maryland, and Virginia. No outdoor experience is necessary, but an open mind is a must! Participants will bring a bag lunch and water bottle each day. Locations and Activities: Sugarloaf Mountain—Geocaching and forest games Catoctin Mountain Park—”Bouldering” and creek-stomping Sandy Point State Park—service project and beach/swim time Part of Great Falls Billy Goat trail and cookout at Carderock Bull Run State Park *All locations and activities are subject to change. Families will acknowledge and sign a waiver when registering that their child will be riding on a GDS operated school bus and will be following all COVID-19 safety protocols, which include open windows instead of air conditioning for air circulation, sitting in separate and distanced rows, mask wearing, etc. While the program will take place outdoors and we will do our best to maintain social distancing, there may be instances where maintaining 6 feet apart from each other may be difficult. Please also note that the schedule is subject to change based on weather, park condition, etc. Trips are rain or shine. However, if there is extreme weather expected for the whole day, students will do outdoor education activities on campus.

Our outdoor Hiking Camp is designed for students to explore the opportunities for outdoor enrichment within and beyond the borders of our city. Through collaboration and personal challenge, students develop an understanding of the natural world around them. Our goal is to promote personal growth through exposure to new and exciting environments and situations, ultimately leading to an appreciation for what the outdoors have to offer. Emphasis will be on how to have fun safely in the woods. For this five-day camp, students will participate in a variety of outdoor activities such as hiking, bouldering, playing in the water and Geocaching. All day-trips will be within a short drive of GDS and utilize the public spaces in the District, Maryland, and Virginia. No outdoor experience is necessary, but an open mind is a must! Participants will bring a bag lunch and water bottle each day. Locations and Activities: Sugarloaf Mountain—Geocaching and forest games Catoctin Mountain Park—”Bouldering” and creek-stomping Sandy Point State Park—service project and beach/swim time Part of Great Falls Billy Goat trail and cookout at Carderock Bull Run State Park *All locations and activities are subject to change. Families will acknowledge and sign a waiver when registering that their child will be riding on a GDS operated school bus and will be following all COVID-19 safety protocols, which include open windows instead of air conditioning for air circulation, sitting in separate and distanced rows, mask wearing, etc. While the program will take place outdoors and we will do our best to maintain social distancing, there may be instances where maintaining 6 feet apart from each other may be difficult. Please also note that the schedule is subject to change based on weather, park condition, etc. Trips are rain or shine. However, if there is extreme weather expected for the whole day, students will do outdoor education activities on campus.